


Perfume

by hovercraft



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Bets & Wagers, F/M, Fluff, Singing, Video Game Mechanics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:42:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21615172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hovercraft/pseuds/hovercraft
Summary: Merlin finds out Ritsuka's secret hobby. Wanting to goad her into sharing it with the world, he wagers a fortune for her voice.
Relationships: Fujimaru Ritsuka/Merlin | Caster
Comments: 5
Kudos: 91





	Perfume

Ritsuka Fujimaru’s existence was fleeting, and for someone who had watched humanity for uncountable years, that meant Merlin’s time with them was preciously limited.

Merlin didn’t find himself attached to individual humans often, if ever—Artoria being the last and even he was a coward in that relationship, but Chaldea’s greatest master proved to be something fascinating. She was up in the morning, brushing her hair and clothing her numerous scars from adventures and then she’d pass out for ages while she mopped up Shimousa alongside the famous Musashi. Servants weren’t remnants of people to Ritsuka, they _were_ people. They spoke, drank, ate, laughed, and fought alongside her as friends and equals, perhaps in a way no magus had ever treated a servant before, or at least very rarely. This trait alone wouldn’t be captivating—humans were prone to like other human-shaped things.

It was how Ritsuka dealt with Merlin.

Of course, she would bite back and point out his bastard-ness whenever it was pertinent, but she really did seem to like him, enough to trust him despite his trickery when it came down to the wire. Perhaps that was because he’d proven himself trustworthy in only those situations. Merlin wasn’t a con man or an ethereal mage. He was, unfortunately, a person, and Ritsuka treated him like one. Once, when he played coy trying to listen to her headphones while she was listening to music, she popped one out of her ear and placed it against his. It was then that Merlin, for all of his clairvoyance and mastering the art of people-watching, uncovered Ritsuka’s secret vice.

Music.

Before they came to Chaldea, they were heavily invested in music and musicals, having been denied by their family at any chance of a career in it. That was when they signed up for Chaldea’s new recruit program.

“You must have a good voice,” Merlin said suddenly, candidly.

“Oh, I—” It seemed he struck a weak point. Jackpot. “I’ve always sung my entire life, but I don’t anymore.”

“Why not?” His curious expression didn’t tell her he already mostly understood why.

“Can I really embarrass myself in front of all of these legendary heroes and kings, who’ve listened to people like Mozart play? Plus, Liz has that market cornered pretty well, and—”

“Liz does not have that market cornered at all,” Merlin was fast to correct her, and Ritsuka elbowed him. No matter what, saying that Liz’s singing sucked out loud was out of the question.

“Anyway, it was just a hobby. I don’t see why you’re interested in it, Merlin.”

“Ah, that’s because I’ve heard sirens sing and opera singers belt out a tune, but I’ve never heard what happens when the last great Master of Chaldea puts her heart into something she loves.”

“Hey!” Ritsuka blurted out. “I love what I do here. It gives me a purpose, and fighting for humanity’s made me… well, it’s made me feel pretty strong and like I can do something good for the world, so—”

Merlin sighed, crossing his arms as he leaned back on the bench within Chaldea’s halls. “But it’s not your passion, is it? You wanted to sing.”

“… the little me wanted to sing. I’ve grown past it now.”

Merlin considered her feelings for but a moment, before realizing he wasn’t pressing her just because it’s good to invoke someone’s real feelings, but because he very desperately wanted to hear her try. Even if it was awful, he wanted to hear what her dream sounded like. If Ritsuka just buried everything within herself and let it go, how sad would it be for someone as selfless as her to have that footnote in her history? Giving so much without a single thought to her own dreams. Merlin counted on himself to meddle, and he knew that Ritsuka had one more weakness he could exploit.

Gambling.

“Ritsuka, how do you feel about a bet?”

“Hm?” Ritsuka’s ears perked, interest piqued.

“I happen to have a lot of quartz saved up. A few shards here and there make for a lot to trade with Da Vinci. I have about… six hundred and fifty.”

“Shards?”

“Full quartz.”

Ritsuka stood up and cleared her throat, as if ready to sing right then and there—

“Easy, not yet! I’m not going to trade them for your song.”

She pouted, crossing her arms and sizing him up. “What are you getting at? Why would you taunt me knowing you have that much?”

“I want you to sing in front of everyone.”

Ritsuka swallowed audibly. “_Everyone_?”

“At the Christmas party this weekend. If you can wow an entire crowd of servants, who have been treated to the most beautiful singers of their eras, and the ones we have here, I will give you my entire vault as a Christmas gift.”

“And if I don’t…?” Ritsuka asked warily.

“Hmm, now that I haven’t thought of…” Merlin pretended to tap his chin in thought. “How about a date with me? It’s not like we can go anywhere in Chaldea, but perhaps on a rayshift—”

“Deal.” Ritsuka stuck out her hand to shake his own.

“Really? With stakes like that, I expected a little more resignation.”

“With six hundred quartz on the line, I can’t afford to not try.” Ah, her gambling problem was really an issue. Maybe she should try seeking the Lord’s advice from Amakusa or Jeanne to help square that away.

“I look forward to seeing what you come up with.” Merlin really was curious, deliberately not tapping into his clairvoyance to see the outcome no matter how tempting. He shook her hand. Now, all he had to do was wait for the party.

\--

Ritsuka had been practicing in secret, with Mash and Da Vinci as her only coaches. When Da Vinci passed Merlin in the hallway, she looked over her shoulder with a smug smirk.

“It’s a good thing I know you actually have the quartz you promised because you’re about to lose a bet.”

Merlin glanced her way with a smug smile. “Really? It seems, either way, I won’t be losing anything. A chance to hear Ritsuka’s fabled voice if I lose, and a date if I win.”

“Really…?” Da Vinci’s tone was still melodious but had an air of sarcasm to it. “You asked Ritsuka for a date? How old are you, Merlin?”

“_Young_ enough to still enjoy the company of beautiful women. If you’ll excuse me.”

Merlin pressed on down the hallway, hoping to hear Ritsuka’s voice rehearsing as he went along, but it was oddly quiet whenever he passed by her room. Likely, one of the servants was keeping a lookout for her.

What a shame.

\--

Servants had decorated the stark walls of Chaldea so well that they felt homey instead of professional, despite the fluorescent lighting that seemed to follow one wherever they went. One of the rooms that was usually used for meetings was sectioned off for the Christmas party, now promising over ninety servants in attendance. Ritsuka, in a black dress with a white ribbon around the waist along with a white scarf hanging loosely around her shoulders, looked nervous. Merlin was quick to pick up on it, grinning down at her with a wolf’s smile (or in his case, an incubus’).

“Someone looks like they’re ready for a date.”

“Someone looks ready to lose a bet and give me the best Christmas gift ever.”

“Oh? This is surprisingly confident of you. Usually, you’re a bit humbler than this. Your competitive streak is adorable.”

As servants began to pour in, some bringing dishes carefully prepared from the kitchens, it was now a waiting game for the guests to mingle and talk to one another like they weren’t in the middle of singularities and constant war and just relax. There was a small karaoke machine sitting innocently at the top of the little elevated stage that girls like Mata Hari and Jing Ke took turns with, singing lovely but messy tunes at the top of their lungs. Ritsuka did her best to keep herself calm until it looked like the party settled down enough for Merlin to take the microphone.

“If I could have everyone’s attention--? Our master is going to sing for us. Well, sing _for me_, but you’re all allowed to listen.”

Immediately, Hassan of the Serenity, Raikou, and Kiyohime lifted their gaze towards Ritsuka standing on the stage and taking the microphone from him. In fact, most servants were staring now—Ritsuka had put in so much time into bonding with them that they were all a little curious about her fabled abandoned dream of being a singer.

“It’s okay if you’re not as good as me!” Liz cheered from the sidelines. “Just sing with all your heart, and it’ll reach us!” Nero nodded enthusiastically beside her.

Ritsuka nodded, taking a deep breath before the music started up. The Cu’s looked at one another knowingly, Gilgamesh feigned disinterest as Enkidu leaned forward at their table, and suddenly their master could feel every eye in the room on them.

No one was quite prepared for what came next.

Her voice was _something_.

Why she had abandoned her dreams of singing, no one was quite sure as the electro-swing tune started to carry through the room.

“I thought we were about to get serious, you know me and you…”

She must’ve spent hours in her room at home practicing dance routines and singing, someday wishing to become a star, because the dance that accompanied her song was definitely rehearsed and couldn’t have been learned in the single week their bet lasted. Favoring audience interaction over simply standing there, she stepped off the stage and walked to random servants as she sang, letting one spin her under their arm before moving onto the next and trying to get them to dance with her too. She sat on one of the tables, crossing her legs and continuing the song as if serenading the incredibly judging King of Heroes as the Pharaoh sitting beside him seemed to find this absolutely _adorable_.

As she quickly modified the lyrics, “You've been a bad, bad, bad girl baby…” Besides Shuten’s ear to the oni’s delight, Merlin watched as Ritsuka made her way over to him, twirled beneath his arm and then pressed her back flush against his chest so that his arm wrapped tight around her as she continued to sing.

“I smell perfume on you, but I guess it’s not mine, where have you been? I thought you were mine…”

And just like that, she was out of his arms, moving onto the next person to tease lightly as almost every servant stepped forward as she passed, not wanting to miss this rare occasion.

As she finished her song and dance routine on stage, she was met with thunderous applause from the entire room, a few wolf whistles, and definitely a few new crushes on her. She bowed immediately, thanking them for their time, giving Mash a hug and a kiss on the cheek and thanking her for all of her help before setting the microphone back down.

“Well, Merlin?” Ritsuka put both hands on her hips, looking upward at him. “Do I get your quartz or a date?”

“Would you take both?” He realized he was speaking without thinking, but her performance had been the cutest thing he’d ever seen his master do, a little show not just for him, but for every servant who had supported her. People were waiting to tear her away from him and take up her time for the evening, hoping for an encore.

“… sure,” Ritsuka said, blushing slightly but saying it quietly so no other servant could hear. “But I want the quartz first.”

Immediately, Ibaraki had grabbed her arm and started dragging her over to her and Shuten’s table to play an effective wingman, but Ritsuka gave a small wave to Merlin before letting herself be hauled off.

\--

Later that evening, Ritsuka was at the summoning chamber with a mountain of quartz by her side and Merlin watching her enjoy herself. He really shouldn’t encourage these habits and she really should see someone about these vices, but when she pulled the otherworldly terror, Abigail Williams, out from the circle and engulfed her in a happy hug, he supposed some vices were okay if he was the one footing the bill for them.

“Anyway, Ritsuka…”

“Yes?”

“I shouldn’t have made that bet.”

“Huh…?” She paused, curious. “Why not?”

“If I knew you had such a voice, I’d want to keep it all to myself. Now every servant in Chaldea will clamor to hear it. Ah, some of the best treasures have to be shared, don’t they?”

Ritsuka tried to hide her blush but smiled. “Hey, thanks.”

“Hm?”

“I never would’ve been brave enough to do that if you hadn’t spurred me on, so… thank you.”

Merlin grinned, leaning forward. “You can thank me by giving me an encore on our date!”

“You’re so greedy…”

“Look who’s talking!”

\--

Individual humans were not that interesting, but Ritsuka was not a mere individual human.

As humanity’s last and greatest master, who could blame an incubus for wanting to hoard them away from the world?

Ritsuka held a place, if not in Avalon, somewhere in his heart, which might be the more valuable real estate if one thought about it.


End file.
